Rail-joint.



No. 829,065. 7 PATENTED AUG 21, 1906. A. ETTLIN.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5, 1906.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET l a-fwl II PATENTED AUGL'21, 1906. Y

A. ETTLIN.

RAIL JOINT.

ATION FILED MAR. 6, 1906.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application filed March 5, 1906. Serial No. 304,543.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANTON ETTLIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Noble, in the county of Marion and State of Oregon, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of whichthe folowing is a specification.

This invention embodies novel improvements in rail-joints and the intentof the invention is to subserve the rigidity of the rails at the pointof meeting to afford a positive and firm connection between the railsand to secure a connection which will admit of readily connecting therails together or detaching the same, as required under actualconditions of service.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of arail-joint constructed in accordance with the invention, a side of theend of one of the rails being broken away to bring out more clearly theinterlocking connection of the extension with the other rail. Fig. 2 isa view similar to Fig. 1, showing the rails in the operation ofconnecting the same together. Fig. 3 is a horizontal longitudinalsectional view. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the form of therail ends. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a modification of theinvention wherein the interlocking parts of the rails are detachablyapplied thereto. Fig. 6 is a detail erspective view of the socket andextension lates applied. Fig. 7 is a detail view of t e extension-plate.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followin descriptionand indicated in all the views 0 the drawings by the same referencecharacters.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the. rails 1 are eachprovided at the ends thereof with extensions 2, said extensions beingconnected with the rails at one side thereof and integral with saidrails in the construction which is illustrated in the preferredembodiment of the invention. The extensions 2 project some distancebeyond the extremities of each rail, and the side portions of the railsopposite those with which the extensions are connected are formed withsockets or seats 3, in which end portions of the extensions 2 arereceived when the rails are conand lateral stress.

nected together in accordance with the invention. Thus the extension atthe end of one rail is adapted to engage in the socket or seat 3 at thesame side of the other rail, such engagement subserving the rigidity ofthe joint means with reference to both vertical The sockets or seats 3are peculiar in formation, the lower portions thereof extending beneaththe upper side of the basal flanges of the rails, as shown at 4.

The extensions 2 are formed at the outer ends thereof withdownwardly-extending projections 5, adapted to engage in-the lowerextremities of the sockets or seats 3 when the rails 1 are assembled andin horizontal alinement to admit of connecting the rail ends so that theprojections 5 of the extensions 2 will enter the lower portions 4 of thesockets 3, and it is necessary that the top portions of the extensions 2be cut away or reduced toward their outer extremities. The aboveconstruction of the extensions 2 is such, therefore, that in connectingthe rails together the ends thereof may be arranged at an angle untilthe extensions 2 enter the sockets or seats 3, whereupon the rails maybe lowered to a position in horizontal alinement, which will cause theprojections 5 to enter the lower portions 4 of the sockets 3, saidprojections so interlocking the rails together as to preventlongitudinal. separation thereof, though sufficient movement may bepermitted to allow for expansion and con traction. The members 5 thusconstitute means for preventing the rails from longitudinal separation,while the members 2 coact to facilitate the rigidity of the connection,as hereinbefore pointed out.

The construction described above is advantageous in that it obviates thenecessity for use of bolts and fish-plates, simplifying the number ofparts of the joint means and adding to the rigidity thereof in a mannerwhich will be evident.

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 show a modification of the invention, carrying out theprinciple included in the first figures of the drawings, the onlydifference being that in the modification the interlocking parts aredetachably secured to the rails, so that the invention may be applied,if necessary, to the construction of rails now most commonly in use. Inthe modification the numeral 10 denotes the socket-plates, the numeral11 the socket thereof, and the numeral 12 a longitudinal basal extensionto be attached to the base by suitable fastenings 13, passing verticallythrough the base portion of the rail to which the socket-plate may besecured. I-Iorizontal fastenings 14 are used to secure the body of theplate to the web of the rail, as shown most clearly inthe drawings. Eachrail will be provided not only with asocketplate at each end, but willalso have an extension-plate 15 secured to its opposite side, said plate15 having the longitudinal locking extension 16 projecting therefrom tobe re ceived in the socket 11 to establish the connection beforedescribed with reference to the preferred embodiment of the invention.The operation of the parts included in the modification is substantiallythe same as that hereinbefore set forth, and it will be observed that itis contemplated to either secure the socket-plate and extensionplate bymeans of fastenings or they may be brazed or welded to the rail orotherwise applied, as desired. The fastenings passing through i the webof the rail may secure both the extension and socket plates in anobvious way. Having thus described the invention,what

is claimed as new is- 1. In a railjoint, the combination of meeting endsof rails, extensions projecting therefrom, the rails being provided atone side thereof with sockets to receive the extensions aforesaid, andmeans coacting with the extensions aforesaid to prevent longitudinalseparation of the rails.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination of meeting ends of rails, extensionsprojecting therefrom, the rails being provided at one side thereof withsockets to receive the extensions aforesaid, said sockets extendingbelow the top portions of the basal flanges of the rails, andprojections carried by the extensions aforesaid and adapted to enter thelowermost portions of the sockets to prevent longitudinal separatingmovement of the rails.

3. In a rail-joint, the combination of meeting ends of rails, extensionsprojecting from said ends longitudinally thereof and connected with therails at sides of the same, the opposite sides of the rails havingsockets therein, the socket of one rail receiving the end portion of theextension of the other rail, the sockets of the rails extending at theirtions integral with the outer end of the extensions and adapted to enterthe lowermost portions of the sockets to prevent longitudinal separatingmovement of the rails, the top portions of the extensions being cut awaytoward their outer ends to admit of engagement of the projections in thesockets as above mentioned.

4. In a rail-joint, the combination of m-eet-' ing ends of rails, asocket-plate attached to an end of each rail at one side thereof, and anextension-plate attached to such end at the opposite side, the saidextensionlates being provided with projections whic enter the socketsand form an interlocking connection therewith to prevent any relativemovement of the rail ends.

5. In a rail-joint, the combination of meeting ends of rails, asocket-plate attached to an end of each rail at one side thereof, anextension-plate attached to such end at the op' posite side, thesocket-plate embodying a body attached to the web portion of the rail,and a longitudinal basal extension secured to the base portion of therail, and the extension-plate embodying a hook portion to engage in thesocket of the socket-plate as specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANTON ETTLIN. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

R111. VON Br'iREN, JOSEPH KATHRINER.

lower portions beneath the surface or top of p the basal portions of therails, and projec

